FA charge Newcastle s Tonali for alleged breaches of betting rules

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Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali has been charged by the English Football Association (FA) for misconduct relating to alleged breaches of the federation's betting rules.

"It's alleged that the Newcastle United midfielder breached FA Rule E8 50 times by placing bets on football matches between 12 August 2023 and 12 October 2023," the FA said in a statement.

The FA said Tonali has until April 5 to respond to the charges.

Tonali, who joined Newcastle from AC Milan in July last year, had been handed a 10-month suspension from football in October 2023 for betting on matches in Italy following an investigation by prosecutors in Turin.

"It was no surprise to us. Sandro from day one cooperated and was very honest with us, the club, and the authorities, what he has done and what happened. It was no surprise and we have been supporting him through this process," Newcastle boss Eddie Howe told a news conference on Friday.

"We don't know is the honest answer [if the ban will be extended]. I certainly hope for Sandro that there is no further consequences. He has suffered during this period, he's seeked help, he's been very honest, admitted he has an issue and the best thing for Sandro would be to resume his career having taken his punishment and learned a lot of lesson.

"That goes without saying [it will be a blow if ban is extended]. You can't quantify how much we've missed him this season. It's been frustrating beyond belief. If that ban was extended, we would still be feeling that pain and so would Sandro. He wants to play football."

The 23-year-old's agent, Giuseppe Riso, had claimed last year that Tonali suffers from a "gambling addiction."

In a statement on Thursday, Newcastle acknowledged the charges received by Tonali and said the Italy international continues to "fully comply with relevant investigations and he retains the club's full support."

Tonali has made 11 appearances for Newcastle in all competitions this season and scored one goal.

The midfielder was the second major player last year to receive a ban for betting on matches after England international Ivan Toney.

The Brentford striker was banned for eight months and fined £50,000($63,165) after admitting to 232 breaches of the FA's betting rules.

He returned to action in January and earned a call-up to the England squad earlier this month, scoring on his international return against Belgium on Tuesday.

Information from Reuters contributed to this report.